By Nicole Mitchell
Cafe Cà Phê, Kansas City’s first Vietnamese coffee shop, is hosting its first inaugural HoliGays Party and Vendor Fair this weekend, December 3 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Proceeds of the event will benefit Umeshiso Coffee Supply, a queer Asian-owned small business in KC.
The event will feature pop-ups by many queer-owned local businesses, including Massage Collective KC, MackBecks, Raspberry Studios, and more. Attendees will also have the opportunity to enter a raffle with multiple high-value prizes, participate in an open mic, receive free education from local LGBTQ+ orgs, and interact with local queer and trans community members through fun activities. Cafe Cà Phê will be serving a glittery specialty beverage called The Gaysian for the day, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Umeshiso.
Umeshiso’s signature spoons have come to represent empowerment and welcomeness for marginalized people within and outside of the coffee industry. The company has been featured in Forbes, New York Magazine, Sprudge, Barista Magazine, and more. Currently, Umeshiso is undergoing a time-sensitive expansion and is raising money to add forks and knives to its silverware essentials.
“Our spoons remind people they belong and that they are valuable, important, and skilled just as they are,” Umeko Motoyoshi, founder of Umeshiso said. “I hope that by offering a full silverware set, we just increase the number of people who feel empowered to show up as their full and authentic selves wherever they go, with only the gayest of utensils in hand.”
Cafe Cà Phê is located at 916 E 5th St, in the heart of Kansas City’s Columbus Park neighborhood.
Nicole Mitchell (she/they) is a writer and social media manager who graduated December 2020 with a degree in strategic communication. A few of her favorite things include cuddling with cats, listening to Bon Iver, making lattes, and running her book club (even though sometimes she forgets to read the books.)
Header photo by Travis Young // Spoon photo courtesy of Umeshiso
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